CNC AEROSPACE MACHINING
At any given moment, numerous parts machined by Cat-Wood Metalworks could be crisscrossing the globe at 30,000 feet or suspended in orbit miles above us. The output from our state-of-the-art Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine shop has included numerous components designed for commercial aviation, military use, and space exploration.
Intensely regulated and well-funded, the aerospace industry contributes close to $400 million annually to the U.S. economy, accounting for roughly 1.7% of the nation’s GDP in 2022. Much of this amount comes from qualified manufacturing partners like Cat-Wood.
CNC manufacturing is fundamental to the production of the machines that make flight possible. Designing and building them, and specifically, the millions of individual parts and components that go into them, demands a standard of precision that keeps modern technology edging ever closer to perfection.
IN AEROSPACE, PRECISION IS EVERYTHING
The precision required of aerospace parts is among the most exacting of any industry. Any time a mechanical part is machined outside of required tolerances, there is a risk that mechanical failure could result at some point in the future. In aerospace, mechanical failure of any kind can have disastrous repercussions. For this reason, the industry awards contracts only to trusted, proven Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM). Each OEM, in turn, entrusts much of its output to manufacturing partners they know can provide the level of quality required.
Aerospace machining is further complicated by its reliance on high-performance materials like Inconel and titanium, as well as other high-strength, lightweight metals, heat-resistant super alloys, high-performance polymers, and engineered composites. These are among the toughest substances ever developed, with astounding resistance to extremes in temperature, pressure and other stresses inherent to aviation and space flight. Logically, the properties that make these materials so durable also make them extremely challenging to machine. Cutting, shaping and joining these specialized materials properly requires state-of-the-art machinery and highly experienced operators.
Registered. Certified. Qualified.
As an AS9100D including ISO9001 2015-certified machine shop, Cat-Wood Metalworks is certified to manufacture complex parts out of high-grade materials to the exacting specifications required by the aerospace industry.
ABOVE STANDARD
The professionals at Cat-Wood Metalworks have the training and experience to perform the demanding machining tasks required by the aerospace industry. As technology, materials and techniques continually advance, our engineers and machinists keep pace with continued training and certification. With multiple 5-axis CNC stations, wire EDM and other advanced machining possibilities, Cat-Wood can take on the most challenging assignment without hesitation and deliver a finished product that will perform impeccably.